Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ZAGREB306
2006-03-07 11:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:
Tuna farming in Croatia: generating jobs
how-toVZCZCXRO0655 RR RUEHAG RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHVB #0306 0661100 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 071100Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5809 INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0083
UNCLAS ZAGREB 000306
SIPDIS
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TAGS: EAGR SENV ETRD HR
SUBJECT: Tuna farming in Croatia: generating jobs
and some controversy
UNCLAS ZAGREB 000306
SIPDIS
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DEPT PLEASE PASS TO OES
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR SENV ETRD HR
SUBJECT: Tuna farming in Croatia: generating jobs
and some controversy
1. SUMMARY: Croatia enjoys a trade surplus in the
fish and seafood products sector with total exports
of $103 million in 2004. Of that, Croatia exported
approximately 4000 tons of tuna worth $55 million,
more than 50% of total fish exports. An estimated
500 jobs and additional 2000 jobs of indirect
employment have been created in Croatia as a result
of tuna farming operations. However, there are
occasional protests against fish farming by those
who worry about environmental damage or the impact
on the tourism industry. END SUMMARY
--------------
Raising tuna for the Japanese market
--------------
2. Tuna farming started in Croatia in 1996 and has
grown into one of the leading agricultural exports
with over 95% of tuna exports going to Japan.
Croatian flagged vessels fish the Adriatic and then
tug their catches to farms off the Croatian coast at
very slow speeds in order to keep the fish alive.
Depending on where the fish are caught, transporting
them to the farms can take weeks to months. Then,
depending on the size of the fish, tuna are kept for
months or years while they increase their fat
content and biomass. In addition to farming all 900
tons of its Total Allowable Catch (TAC) as regulated
by the International Commission for the Conservation
of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT),Croatian farms import 50%
of their tuna stocks from other countries.
3. Assistant Minister for Fisheries, Ivan Katavic
noted that ICCAT reporting requirements are only for
dead frozen or fresh tuna and that currently, only
Malta requires Bluefin Statistical Documents (BFSD)
for live fish that are caught and then transported
to cages. Katavic worries that this lack of
regulation could lead to the laundering of live
tuna. He stressed that the preservation of tuna
stocks is important to the GOC and further noted
that tuna farming, especially if technology develops
to reproduce and breed tuna in captivity, could help
alleviate pressures on tuna stocks.
--------------
Impact on local communities
--------------
4. The GOC estimates that 500 direct jobs and 2000
indirect jobs have been created as a result of tuna
farming, bringing people back to depopulated areas
on the coast and islands. Some of these jobs
include fishermen who provide feed fish for the
tuna, but many of the feed fish are imported, mostly
from Scandinavia. However, not all localities have
embraced tuna farming and some environmental groups
worry that farming juvenile tuna before they can
spawn in the open sea is reducing fish stocks. By
regulation, fish cages are required to be located in
water at least 50 meters deep to mitigate the risk
of farm debris washing on shore. But some coastal
communities still have expressed their concern that
tuna farming will hurt tourism by polluting the
surrounding waters.
FRANK
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO OES
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR SENV ETRD HR
SUBJECT: Tuna farming in Croatia: generating jobs
and some controversy
1. SUMMARY: Croatia enjoys a trade surplus in the
fish and seafood products sector with total exports
of $103 million in 2004. Of that, Croatia exported
approximately 4000 tons of tuna worth $55 million,
more than 50% of total fish exports. An estimated
500 jobs and additional 2000 jobs of indirect
employment have been created in Croatia as a result
of tuna farming operations. However, there are
occasional protests against fish farming by those
who worry about environmental damage or the impact
on the tourism industry. END SUMMARY
--------------
Raising tuna for the Japanese market
--------------
2. Tuna farming started in Croatia in 1996 and has
grown into one of the leading agricultural exports
with over 95% of tuna exports going to Japan.
Croatian flagged vessels fish the Adriatic and then
tug their catches to farms off the Croatian coast at
very slow speeds in order to keep the fish alive.
Depending on where the fish are caught, transporting
them to the farms can take weeks to months. Then,
depending on the size of the fish, tuna are kept for
months or years while they increase their fat
content and biomass. In addition to farming all 900
tons of its Total Allowable Catch (TAC) as regulated
by the International Commission for the Conservation
of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT),Croatian farms import 50%
of their tuna stocks from other countries.
3. Assistant Minister for Fisheries, Ivan Katavic
noted that ICCAT reporting requirements are only for
dead frozen or fresh tuna and that currently, only
Malta requires Bluefin Statistical Documents (BFSD)
for live fish that are caught and then transported
to cages. Katavic worries that this lack of
regulation could lead to the laundering of live
tuna. He stressed that the preservation of tuna
stocks is important to the GOC and further noted
that tuna farming, especially if technology develops
to reproduce and breed tuna in captivity, could help
alleviate pressures on tuna stocks.
--------------
Impact on local communities
--------------
4. The GOC estimates that 500 direct jobs and 2000
indirect jobs have been created as a result of tuna
farming, bringing people back to depopulated areas
on the coast and islands. Some of these jobs
include fishermen who provide feed fish for the
tuna, but many of the feed fish are imported, mostly
from Scandinavia. However, not all localities have
embraced tuna farming and some environmental groups
worry that farming juvenile tuna before they can
spawn in the open sea is reducing fish stocks. By
regulation, fish cages are required to be located in
water at least 50 meters deep to mitigate the risk
of farm debris washing on shore. But some coastal
communities still have expressed their concern that
tuna farming will hurt tourism by polluting the
surrounding waters.
FRANK